The Beauty of the Beast
by GirlWithTheNotebook
Summary: Hi guys, my first ever fanfic: reviews would be highly appreciated. A Vincent/Catherine story. Catherine has been a part of Vincent's life for years, but he has only been a part of hers for months. Can they confess their feelings and be together, or will something else threaten to tear them apart? And what will happen when secrets are revealed and Muirfield come knocking?
1. A Beast In The Night

**Catherine's POV**

Catherine rubbed her fingers against her temples, willing the dull pain to cease. Wearily, she opened her eyes and groaned as she saw the time – a little after 3am. She decided to end the staring contest she was losing with the latest paperwork from the Marie homicide and turn in and attempt to get some sleep. Shutting down her laptop she stretched – feeling satisfaction and wincing simultaneously as her joints popped. A nice warm shower and then bed sounded pretty good to her. She clicked the light, careful not to wake her sister who was sound asleep, and made her way wearily to the bathroom. Sighing as she felt the warm water begin to slowly unknot her tightened muscles, Cat resisted the urge to simply stand under the balmy water all night long. While she was busy contemplating thoughts of a suburban mother gunned down for no apparent reason, something which struck close to home with her - Cat swore she heard a light thud. But she put it down to her tired brain playing tricks on her, until she heard a second thud – distinctly louder than the first – which meant whoever it was, was getting closer. Cat shut off the water, and while a part of her was trying to rationalise the situation, it could be someone upstairs coming home late, or Heather getting a snack. Another much bigger part of her was thinking of Muirfield and kidnappings and of course Vincent. Dismally, she realised she was totally and utterly defenceless, in nothing but a towel and not even her gun to hand. Oh well, she mused as she glanced around her tiny bathroom, she was going to have to settle on shampooing her would be assailant to death. Slowly, carefully and quietly, Catherine unlocked the bathroom door and gingerly inched it open. Through the small opening she couldn't see anything, but she could definitely hear someone. Gripping the can of deodorant (it would have to do for pepper spray), her heart in her throat as she heard whoever it was moving around – their heavy footsteps indicating she wasn't dealing with a ballerina or a ninja, or a ninja ballerina... Quit stalling Cat! She commanded herself. Giving one more disparaging look at the measly can of deodorant, Cat threw the door open and moved swiftly, only to slip on the wooden floor and come crashing straight into a very surprised Vincent Keller. The force of her... tackle combined with his shock resulted in the two of them ending up a little, tangled.

"Err Vincent..." Cat felt him squirm beneath her. "Hi." She mentally kicked herself – what kind of a thing is that to say? She was suddenly very aware that she was lying on top of Vincent Keller in nothing but snowy, white towel, holding a can of deodorant. She also realised, that his very large hands were currently resting on her cotton clad hips. She looked down at him, their eyes locked and Cat felt that familiar twinge in the deep pit of her stomach. That feeling of standing on the edge of a precipice, on the verge of falling into nothing. That feeling of being around Vincent. Before she did anything stupid, like oh maybe leaning down and kissing those gorgeous lips – or worse, Cat hastened to extract herself from... whatever this was. She sprang up and hitched the towel high up, spluttering apologies, babbling about ballerinas and ninjas. Cat watched nervously as he lay there for a moment or two before hauling himself up with a quick push of those ridiculously large, muscular arms, that she knew were concealed under the coarse dark fabric of his coat. "Umm, you okay there?" Stupid, stupid question Cat! Of course he was not okay, having to deal with you taking him down like a perp. He took a second to answer "I'm gonna have to be more careful, if you're going to attack me like that every time I show up here." "Hey! I didn't attack you, I was just..." She trailed off as she saw the smirk forming on that stupidly handsome face of his. She felt her heart splutter in response – and prayed that he couldn't hear it. "Okay, laugh it up Keller, what the hell you doing sneaking around my apartment in the wee hours anyway?" That wiped the smirk of his face, he looked appropriately abashed; "I er, was in the neighbourhood, thought I'd check up on you. But I saw you weren't in your bed so I thought I'd see if everything was...okay." She nodded, but –despite the dark gloom of her apartment – she could swear that he was blushing. Something close to satisfaction glowed inside her as she considered the possibility that he was a susceptible to these crazy feelings as she was. "I should probably..." She indicated to her bedroom with her head and he quickly nodded. She turned on her heel and disappeared into her bedroom – only smirking a little.


	2. Contemplation and Frustration

**A/N: First of all I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, I don't think you guys understand how much those comments meant to me. For my first piece of writing to get such lovely comments is amazing for me, since I didn't think it would even get read. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. Second of all, I have got maybe another chapter written down somewhere but it's a case of me typing it up and making adjustments blah blah blah. There will be more story to come, the beginning is just a little fluffy. Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon but I'm not sure as I'm really busy with school etc. Once again thank you so much beasties! **** Min x**

**Vincent's POV**

Well that was... interesting –for want of a better word. Cursing his own stupidity, Vincent dragged a hand through his hair, blowing out a puff of air. He tried to calm his heart, but was having as much luck with it as Catherine, judging the pounding of her equally hammering heart. He glanced towards the door of her bedroom and then promptly walked into the kitchen and reached for a cold glass of water. A very cold glass. He gulped the water down as he thought about what Catherine was doing behind the very door... Okay maybe drinking it wasn't going to do, he contemplated throwing the water over his head; hey it might help put out the burning he felt in his cheeks. God, what an idiot! What man blushes – apart from JT maybe. But still. It certainly didn't help his predicament that he could hear every movement Catherine made, he could hear her slipping material over those gorgeous curves that his palms had been resting against only moments ago. He tried to forget how her nubile, slightly damp body had felt atop of his; how for one second they had locked eyes and he could see the desire he was suppressing, somewhat mirrored in those beautiful brown **(A/N her eyes look brown to me – but some say hazel :S) **eyes of hers. He had almost lost control when she spoke to him, he could feel her voice reverberating through him. Shaking his head in the manner of a wet dog, he carefully washed the glass and put it away in the cupboard.

Vincent knew he shouldn't be feeling like this. He didn't deserve someone like Catherine, someone who, for some inexplicable reason, not only didn't run from him but kept coming back despite him showing her the beast within. She'd seen him tear men apart with his bare hands but she still talked with him, laughed with him, touched him. Told him time and time again that he wasn't a monster, but he couldn't believe her. He walked out of the kitchen and paced around the living room – trying hard to be as quiet as he could, the last thing he wanted was for Heather to wake up. Now that would be awkward.

Vincent didn't even know what he was doing here, he had been at home, listlessly lying on his bed listening to the drawl of whatever late night chat show host JT was spending his evening with (seriously the guy needed a girlfriend). Then all of a sudden he had felt a powerful, overwhelming need to be near Catherine, to see her, smell her, touch her if he dared. And before he could change his mind, he scrawled a quick note for JT explaining he was going for some fresh air, grabbed his jacket and jumped out of the window into the quiet, cool night.

**Catherine's POV**

Cat swore internally – the last thing she had been expecting was a late night (or early morning) visit from Vincent. Not that she wasn't pleased to see him, it was just she had no idea what the hell she was supposed to wear! She certainly wasn't going to wear her regular pyjamas, designed more for sensibility than seduction. But, then again it's not like she was planning on jumping Vincent's bones the minute she got out of here. Or was she? NO. No she was definitely not going to do that, in fact she was not going to think about... that. As she resisted the urge to slap herself, she rummaged through her drawer trying to find something that looked cute but didn't have the 'trying too hard' vibe screaming from it. As she was ready to give up she spotted something at the bottom of her drawer, and when she pulled it out she snorted with laughter. It was a set of 'sexy' silk PJ's; Tess had given her a few years ago for her birthday as a joke, in an effort to rejuvenate her dismal sex life.

Catherine sat down on the floor the silk in one hand and her regular flannel pyjamas that made her look about 3 years old in the other . Why was she making a big deal out of this, it's just Vincent, out there not Johnny Depp. Okay, it was a big deal because it was Vincent. She just didn't want to make it look like she was trying to hard – because she wasn't. She didn't want to risk scaring him off because she couldn't control herself around him. For god sakes, she wasn't some love struck teenager she was an independent, intelligent woman – a cop – she was tough. So why did she feel like a puddle of goo every time he looked at her with those gorgeous brown eyes?

"Because I'm an idiot." She murmured. Oh what the hell, she was going to wear the sexy silk stuff.


	3. Crossroads

**A/N: Yay, Chapter 3! I am SO sorry it took so long to get up, I was struggling a little with it and I've been really busy. I have mock exams yada, yada... But anyway, HOW AMAZING WAS TRAPPED?! AND, OH. MY. GOD. NEXT WEEK LOOKS AMAZING! :O **

**Vincent's POV**

Vincent glanced towards Catherine's room, wondering what was taking her so long. She was probably collecting her thoughts. It's no joke when you come out of the shower and find yourself on the floor with an ex-super soldier with cross-species DNA. Still, he should have called out her name when he arrived, instead of barging in like he owned the joint. However, he panicked when he saw her bed was empty and undisturbed. To be honest, when it came to Catherine, reason went out of the window. And, if Vincent wasn't thinking straight, it was dangerous. For both of them.

Suddenly, he noticed something lying on the floor outside the bathroom. He picked it up. Chuckling, Vincent realized it was the can of deodorant Catherine had been brandishing as she attacked him. What would she have done if it had been someone with malicious intent? The thought was both amusing and sobering at the same time.

Catherine's door swung open and Vincent felt his chest constrict, his heart breaking out into a sprint as she stepped out wearing a tiny black silk nightdress with a matching robe. Not only could he see every detail, he could feel them. She smiled at him, those striking eyes lighting up. The fragrance of her scent overwhelmed Vincent. He could hear the silk brushing against toned thighs as she walked towards him. He could see the soft sheen of the material reflecting the low light of the lamp. He could see the water dripping from her hair, running down her neck. Above all, he could hear the frantic racing of her heart, matching his. She was the most exquisite thing he had seen, and as the beast stirred within, Vincent suddenly realized he had no idea what to do next.

**Catherine's POV**

Catherine felt her heart pounding. When she saw Vincent's eyes hungrily roving over her, she wanted nothing more than to cross the space between them and crush her lips against his. But that would probably be classified in the 'something stupid that you will regret later and make things very awkward' category. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and moved toward the kitchen. As she did, she brushed against him. It lasted just for a second, but in that moment Cat felt the heat of his skin against hers, and something almost electric passed between them. It almost stopped Cat in her tracks, but in an effort to maintain some kind of sanity, she forced herself to go into the kitchen and pour herself a very large glass of wine.

**Vincent's POV**

Catherine was driving him, and the beast, crazy. It was taking all of his willpower not to rush after and devour her. He could almost taste her, could almost feel her against him. After all, it had only been minutes since she was lying on top of him. His eyes tracked every single movement she made, neither of them saying a word. Gazing at her, he felt his breath hitch as she seductively sipped her wine slowly. Vincent realized that he was still standing in the middle of the room, clenching the deodorant can. Slowly, he released his grip and moved in to lean against the counter next to Catherine.

Coyly, she smiled at him.

"You want some?"

Catherine gestured with her glass of wine, eyebrows raised. It may have been Vincent's imagination, but he swore her voice was trembling, and of course, her heart was racing. He shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. She nodded, almost to herself. As she twisted her head to place the glass behind her, Vincent saw an angry red gash. The skin around it was bruised and it probably stung like hell.

"What happened?" he growled. He was barely masking the rage in his heart. As Catherine bit her lip, he felt desire sweep through him almost cutting off the anger. Almost.

"Oh, it's nothing. A perp didn't want to play nice."

She avoided his gaze, and he knew she was downplaying what happened. Wracking his brains, he tried to think of when this could have happened. The wound didn't look that old. Still, it could have been while he was chained up in that godforsaken cell. He inched forward, carefully keeping his arm from shaking as he extended it towards Catherine's smooth, strong shoulders. He gently brushed his fingers over the wound and took a deep breath, trying to expel the last remnants of his anger. Vincent noticed that Cat had closed her eyes. She was barely breathing, let alone moving. He realized that they were at a crossroads, and whatever he did now would change things irrevocably.

**A/N: *Holds hands up in defense* SORRY, PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME! I know it's a crappy ending but I got inspired towards the end. I SWEAR something will happen in the next chapter. Min x**


	4. Trust Me

**A/N: Here you go, guys! To make up for the insanely long wait for chapter 3, I thought I'd get chapter 4 done as soon as possible. Enjoy, beasties! (btw who else heard about the new character – an ADA that will be starkers when Cat first meets him. More hot shirtless guys? Why, thank you CW! ;D)**

**Catherine's POV:**

Vincent's rough palm was warm against her neck; Cat didn't dare move. She kept her eyes shut afraid of what might, what would, happen if she opened her eyes. She shivered slightly, the thin fabric not really providing protection from the cold breeze that swept through her apartment. They were so close, close enough for her to feel his heartbeat, strong and vital. In that moment, Cat forgot about everything. The fact her sister was asleep in the next room, the fact that JT was probably going crazy, Muirfield, everything. The only thing that mattered was how close Vincent was standing to her. As her eyes flew open, she decided, after months of dancing around her feelings for him, she was going to do something about it.

**Vincent's POV**

Vincent had never felt anything so... right. Catherine so close to him, her heat radiating from her, he forgot about everything but Catherine. After years of watching her from afar, he was finally in a position to do what he yearned for. But he couldn't. He was a beast. He didn't deserve Catherine: beautiful, kind, honest and good. How could he expect her to return the feelings that burned in his heart? He couldn't, he shouldn't. Sighing, he rested his forehead against hers, wising he could express the love he felt for her, and the sorrow that his goodbye would cause him.

Her eyes opened and locked on to his.

**Catherine's POV**

She could see the pain his eyes, the battle raging within. Her heart twisted, wanting to make it better. Tenderly, she placed her hand against his face, feeling the jagged scar under her palm. Eyes locked, foreheads touching, she breathed his name.

"Vincent."

**Vincent's POV**

The sound of his name escaping from her lips made him close his eyes, revelling in the moment, knowing it couldn't last. Tears seeped from his eyelids, searing fiery paths down his cheeks. Catherine breathed deeply. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck. His eyes jolted open in surprise just as she pressed her lips against his. For one moment, as astonishment overcame him, he stood motionless. Then his brain caught up with him.

'Hey, idiot! She is kissing YOU!'

Vincent encased her waist with his arms, holding her lithe form as tight as he could against him while trying not to hurt her. He kissed her with ferocious passion, years of longing aching inside of him. She responded with equal fervour, gripping her arms ever tighter around his neck.

**Catherine's POV**

Cat could barely believe what was happening. Vincent was kissing her as if both of their lives depended on it. She was giving him everything. Her already short gown hitched up higher as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Cat felt his strong, capable arms envelop her, crushing her to his broad chest. She tore her mouth from his and looked at him, their eyes now level. She could feel his chest rising and falling.

"Did... did I hurt you?"

The pain and disgust in his voice was evident. She was stunned that he would even consider that, and without answering she simply pressed her lips against his scar, whispering softly.

"I love you."

**Vincent's POV**

Vincent's jaw dropped. His excellent hearing never failed him, but he couldn't be sure what she had just said. It was impossible. He gaped at her in disbelief, still holding her in his arms.

"Did you just...?"

She grinned, blushing. "Yeah. Problem?"

"Hell, no!"

And with that Vincent kissed her intensely, his lips burning a blazing trail across her face. He kissed her nose, her cheeks, and her neck. She moaned and he gripped her tighter. Her long, still slightly damp hair tickled him as he put his lips next to her ear and whispered.

"I love you too, more than you will ever know."

She twined her fingers in his hair and pulled his mouth to meet hers again, her need as urgent as his own. Yet Vincent hesitated slightly because he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and he was worried about the beast.

**Catherine's POV**

Cat had never felt more joy in her life. She belonged in Vincent's arms. It felt like the most natural, safest place on Earth to her. She had been such a fool to try and hide her feelings for him. But, under the radiant joy, she could feel Vincent tensing. He lifted his head from hers, looking apologetic.

"Oh no, nuh-uh. Don't you dare, Vincent."

He chuckled a little at the pout her face slipped into as she realized that he was trying to pull away. Stubbornly, she held onto him, but she was no match for his beastly strength. He gently set her down, tenderly stroking the hair from her face.

"Cat, I can't."

Cat scrutinized his handsome face, and then felt embarrassment wash over her.

'God, what an idiot!'

She stared at her toes, not believing that she had thrown herself at him like that. She suddenly realized that she was something of a mess. She hastened to straighten the straps of her nightdress and her slip her robe back up her shoulders.

"Right, okay. I understand."

**Vincent's POV**

She wouldn't look at him, she just stood there looking at the floor. Was she embarrassed? She peeked up at him through her long, dark hair. Suddenly, realization dawned on him: she thought he was rejecting her! He laughed, and she suddenly snapped her head up glaring at him.

"Well, I'm glad to see I amuse you so much, Keller!"

, she turned on her heel and started to storm towards her room. Sighing, he darted in front of her, causing her to stop short.

"Cat, it's not that I don't want to. Trust me, I do. Like, I seriously do. It's just we have to take things slow. I don't want to hurt you."

He saw the anger dissipate from her. She looked him straight in the eye.

"Vincent, you would never hurt me."

And without giving him a chance to answer, she laid her fingers across his lips.

"I trust you with my life, Vincent. And anyway, how will we ever know if we don't at least try?'

Vincent heaved a sigh, but she quickly pressed her lips to his, giving him a slow and gentle kiss, which quickly deepened into something much deeper.

"I trust you, now you need to trust me."

When she looked at him with those clear, bright eyes, he found it near to impossible to resist her. With a groan, he caged her hips in his hands and pulled her towards him, fixing his mouth to hers in a fervent kiss. She pulled away momentarily.

"So... is that a yes?"

He chuckled and lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist.

**A/N: Happy, you guys? :P Btw, I have a story in mind for this not just involving Vincent and Cat, which should shake things up. I also just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed and followed/favorite. It means so much to me! LOVE BEASTIES! Min x**


	5. A Night In Your Arms

**A/N: OH MY GOD THE PROMO FOR TODAY'S EPISODE. GAHHHHHHHHH, DYING OF FEELS.**

**Catherine's POV**

"Stop it! Vincent, I mean it. Don't you dare! Oh, god! I will shoot you, I swear to god I will shoot you!"

Cat collapsed with laughter, as Vincent tickled her unrelentingly.

"How are you planning on shooting me, when your gun's on the kitchen counter?"

A teasing light sparkled in his eyes, and before she could give him a suitably witty answer, he bought his lips to hers. When Cat opened her eyes, she saw the euphoria in her heart mirrored in his face. Under the sheets, they twisted even closer together, which was pretty amazing, considering their proximity.

She was still finding it hard to believe that Vincent was here, in her bed, and that they had made love. The thought made her heart overflow with happiness, it had been the most incredible experience of her life. She recalled how they had clung to each other as they weathered the storm, not caring if the woke her sister with their cries.

He was still stroking her face, her hands resting on his broad chest. They smiled in unison.

**Vincent's POV**

Wonder filled Vincent, as he held Catherine close, her face buried into the curve of his neck. One hand rested on the small of her back, while the other stroked her hair. Her eyes were closed in contentment, yet he couldn't bear to shut his own. To tear his eyes from her beauty would shatter whatever dream this was, except it wasn't. She was here, with him, and she had told him that she loved him. The very notion that someone like her could love him was both staggering and humbling. After all, was he not the monster mothers told their children stories about? The one who the hero would slay? In what story does the monster win the heart of the heroine?

"You're wrong," she whispered, startling him out of his reverie.

"What?"

Lifting her palm, she rested it on his face, "You are not a monster."

"I... how?" Catherine never failed to astound him. It was almost as if she could read his mind.

"You had that look on your face. The one you have whenever you talk about the other side of yourself. I just wanted to tell you how wrong you are."

Words couldn't describe the elation Vincent felt in that moment. With staggering tenderness, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"I love you, Catherine. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I promise you I will hold onto you with every fiber of my being," he murmured.

**Catherine's POV**

"Well I guess I love you too..." she stated nonchalantly. However, she couldn't hold back the grin that split across her face.

Laughing, Vincent rolled so that he hovered over her. While kissing him, she considered the fact that, just maybe, all the pain and hurt had been worth it. Because, in the end, everything had led her to Vincent. And with Vincent was where she belonged.

Abruptly he rolled off her, onto his back.

Astonished, she sputtered, "Vincent! What are you doing?!"

He only smirked and pointed at the clock next sitting to her, on her nightstand. It read 5:30am.

"Crap! I have to be at work in, like, 2 hours!"

Vincent chuckled and, encasing her in his arms, leaned in to whisper, "I know, which is why you should probably get some sleep."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "As if I'd be able to sleep with you here!" Despite her words, Cat was startled when she felt him start to pull away.

'Well if you'd rather I go...'

"NO!" She stopped herself from shouting too loudly, cautious of Heather. Although, to be perfectly honest, if Heather hadn't woken up when Cat and Vincent had been... busy, she wasn't in danger of stirring now.

Chuckling, Cat felt him nestle his way behind her, her back facing his front. Vincent gently kissed her shoulders and her neck. She groaned and tried to turn around to face him, but he restrained her.

"Shh... sleep, Cat." She could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"Easy for you to say, Keller." Grumbling, Cat closed eyes, hyper aware of Vincent's every move. It felt like she had borrowed his super senses. She could feel every minuscule movement, every breath, every beat of his heart.

God it was going to be a long night.

**A/N: Sorry this one is a bit short, wanted to wrap up the 'Cat and Vincent's first night' part of this and move the plot along a bit, please hit the review box – every single one is appreciated! **

**Min x**


	6. A Morning To Remember

**GUYS. I ACTUALLY THINK I HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE. I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THE DEPTHS OF MY INSANITY. LIFE IS MEANINGLESS UNTILL JANUARY 24TH. 6 WEEKS. HOW DO THEY EXPECT ME TO WAIT 6 WEEKS, AND WITHOUT ANY CLIPS OR PHOTOS!?**

**DAMN YOU, CW!**

**Vincent's POV**

Vincent woke up to the smell of Catherine's hair, his arms instinctively tightened around her sleeping form. Opening one eye, he grinned as he looked at her. Hair flying in all directions, both arms around his, chaining him to her, as if Vincent would go anywhere. She had never been more beautiful. Looking at the clock, he fought back a groan, J.T. was probably having heart attack. Sighing, Vincent tried to gently pry his arms from Cat, but she was having none of it. He watched, amused, as her brow furrowed in sleep and gripped his arms even tighter.

Oh well, he thought, he'd much rather stay here that go home and face J.T.

**Catherine's POV**

The shrill scream of Cat's alarm was enough to call her back from the land of the dead. Groggily, Cat stretched an arm out to shut it up before realizing that there were arms wrapped around her torso. And not just any arms, a pair of very familiar, ripped, tanned arms. Twisting around, she saw Vincent grinning at her.

She giggled quietly. "Well, hey... good morning," she whispered.

He leaned down to kiss her softly. "Morning."

It was amazing how one word was enough to make her heart race and her cheeks redden as she thought of last night. Just as she was about to suggest that Vincent may have to refresh her memory, she felt him stiffen in her arms.

"What? Vincent, what's wrong?"

"I think you're sister's up."

"CAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT, WHY IS THERE NO COFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?"

Cat rolled her eyes at him. "Gee, you think?"

She sat up swiftly, her head spinning a little, and tried to look for her clothes. Belatedly, Cat realized that her room was a wreck. Finding something to wear may take a little longer than she thought.

"CATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

"Oh, Jesus... COMING HEATHER, KEEP YOUR HAIR ON!"

She narrowed her eyes as Vincent chuckled. He looked absurdly at ease, lying with his hands behind his head and a sheet slung low on his hips, exposing those very, very well defined muscles of his. She tried not to stare. Kind of. Shaking her head, she spotted her nightgown laying a little way from the bed. Now how to get to it, whilst maintaining some kind of dignity? Sighing, she gathered the sheet to her and hobbled over to the end of her bed and quickly slipped it on.

"Look, I'm gonna go out there and try and tame the dragon. I'll back in two minutes."

He just nodded.

"Right, here goes nothing."

Slowly, Cat padded out into the hallway and saw Heather sitting at the kitchen counter with her head lying there. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath.

"Rough night, sis?" Heather looked up and shot daggers at Cat's smiling face.

"You have no idea," She muttered darkly.

"Wanna talk about it?" Cat was a little worried, her sister was always this bubbly ray of sunshine, something bad must have happened.

"Well, long story short, I ran into Josh last night. Again." Opening the cupboard, Cat located the coffee beans which had eluded Heather.

"Ouch. What happened?"

"Oh, the usual crap. You know: I love you baby, come on baby, let's try again. Blah, blah, blah. And, the really sad part is, I was totally about to get my coat and go and have very nice sex with him." Cat only rolled her eyes, having learned by now that's it's best to just let Heather spew until she stops.

"But just as I'm about to leave, I see him making goo-goo eyes at this bartender. And when I say at her, I mean at her boobs. God, I am such an idiot! Why do I always fall for his crap?"

"Because you love him, or at least you did. And, you want to believe in your heart that he will change." Smiling, Cat rubbed her baby sister's shoulder in sympathy, and set down the mug of coffee in front of her. "I promise, one day either he will grow up, or you'll find someone who doesn't need to change to deserve you."

"Hey, that's actually good advice, Cat."

Cat snorted, "Thanks! Listen, I'm gonna hit the shower, Joe wants us in early." In other words, she was eager to get back to Vincent.

"Okay. Hey, sis?"

She spun around from her way back to her room. "Yeah?"

"Is that new? What you're wearing? Cause I haven't seen it before." Heather narrowed her eyes. "Actually, come to think about it, you look kinda... weird."

"Weird?" Cat forced a laugh.

"Yeah. You're, like, glowing. Your hair's all messed up, and I swear you're gonna split your face open if you smile any wider." Heather's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh. My. God. You had sex last night, didn't you? Didn't you?!"

Before Cat could protest, Heather had bounded down the hallway to her room. She could only watch in horror as Heather flung the door open to find... a totally empty bed.

Uttering a silent prayer of thanks for Vincent's abrupt disappearance, Cat pushed past her sister.

"Well unfortunately, Heather, I did not have sex. I am not glowing. My hair is a mess because I didn't bother to dry it last night. I'm grinning at you and your sappiness. And I'm only wearing this because it was there, and it was clean. Okay?"

Cat actually felt kind of bad for Heather, she looked crestfallen.

"Right. It's just... I thought..."

"I know."

"Okay, so you go have that shower."

"Will do."

Heather slowly backed out of the room, and Cat let out a sigh of relief. Now where the hell was Vincent?

**Vincent's POV**

Vincent stood, crammed into Cat's tiny closet, the first hiding place he had seen after hearing her sister storming towards the bedroom. He shifted awkwardly, trying not to drop his clothes. Seriously, how could one woman own this many pairs of shoes? Why did she need this many pairs of shoes?

"Vincent!" He could hear Cat hissing his name. He elbowed his way out his Prada prison and dropped his clothes on the floor, exhaling heavily.

"Well, that was close."

She spun around, hand flying to her chest. Whoops. He hadn't meant to startle her.

"Geez! Thanks Keller, I needed that heart attack."

"Sounds perfectly fine to me," he winked at her.

Rolling her eyes, Catherine planted a light kiss on his lips and sauntered to the bathroom. Turning around, she looked at him expectantly.

"Well, aren't you joining me?"

It took less than a second for Vincent to catch on. He darted forward and swept her up in his arms, all in a few heartbeats. Kissing her, he wanted nothing more than for this morning to never end.

"Well," She said breathlessly, her chest rising and falling. "I guess being the beast has its perks, after all!"

Vincent threw his head back, and laughed softly. "Now, how about that shower?"

They both grinned wickedly.

**A/N: I would also just like to say that my thoughts and prayers are with anyone affected by the horrific events that occurred in Connecticut today. My heart goes out to every single one of you.**

**Min xx**


	7. A Blast From The Past

**A/N: Hey guys, here is a nice long one for you all! Stay strong beasties, and don't forget to review!**

**Catherine's POV**

Humming as she sorted through case notes and reports, Cat felt the grin on her face widen.

'Only one hour until I can go home!' she thought.

Her lack of sleep was having no effect on the buoyancy of her mood as she pretty much danced around the precinct. Still, she was anxious to go home and see Vincent. Oh, Vincent. She felt like a love struck teenager, her head spinning and her heart pumping. Cat couldn't get over how perfect last night (and this morning) had been, the way that the two of them had fit together. Like they were made for one another.

"Geez, you smile any brighter and I'm gonna need shades."

Tess plonked herself down in Cat's chair and rested her feet on the desk. Cat just rolled her eyes at her partner, and hurried to get this paperwork done so she could go home and see Vincent.

"Seriously Chandler, you're glowing! Oh, man! You and Evan finally got it on, didn't you? Didn't you!?"

Horrified, Cat shot back, "No! For the millionth time, Tess, we are just friends!"

"Yeah, but do 'friends' randomly kiss each other?" Tess winked at Cat.

"Oh, come on! Look, I told you it was a one time thing. We were both drunk, and it was a mistake."

Tess just raised her eyebrows but looked closer at Cat.

"Okay, so not Evan. But someone's got you dancing around the place like you're a Disney princess. Let me see... ooh, is it Mr. Complicated?!"

Cat grimaced.

"Oh my god, I knew it! Damn. Did you sleep with him?!"

Biting her smile back, Cat just moved over to the filing cabinet to dump her files there for Joe to look at in the morning.

"CAT! DID YOU, OR DID NOT, HAVE SEX LAST NIGHT?"

At least half the heads in the office spun round to see what all the commotion was about. Cat felt her cheeks redden.

**Vincent's POV**

Well, at least she was direct.

Vincent chuckled at the predicament Catherine had found herself in. He hadn't meant to follow her, but after last night he couldn't bear to be far from her. It was like she was the missing piece of him.

"God Keller, what a sap you've turned into."

Shaking his head, Vincent shifted his crouch slightly. He drank in the cool night air, taking his time to savor everything his senses could pick up on. His smiled widened as he heard Catherine try to get herself out of the awkward situation Tess had put her in.

"Look, you think you could keep it down? I think there is only a small portion of China that didn't hear that."

Oh, boy. Catherine was **.

"So, I'm gonna take that as a... yes."

Vincent couldn't see what was happening but he could hear Catherine's heart throbbing in her chest.

"Oh. My. God. Ohmygod. OHMYGOD!" As he listened, Vincent grew genuinely worried that Tess was hyperventilating.

"How was it? Was it good? Ohmygod, I don't even know this guy's name. Come on, Chandler, you need to give me deets here!"

"Shh! Fine, fine I'll tell you. Just keep it down, will you?"

Vincent could practically see Tess zipping her lips.

"Yes, we... ya know, last night. And it was..." Vincent waited with bated breath. "Incredible. Just he was so... loving and tender. He made me feel so beautiful."

Just when he thought his heart couldn't take anymore joy, Catherine did something else to make him love her even more. She didn't need him to feel beautiful, she was dazzling, inside and out. He had felt like the luckiest being in all of existence last night, holding her in his arms. He recalled the feeling of her against him, their lips fusing together, the way they had looked into each other's eyes. He didn't care if loving her was reckless because he was never going to let her go.

"Yeah, yeah. That's nice and all, but to be honest Cat, it sounds a little boring. How hot on a scale of 1 to 10?"

Vincent grinned even wider as he listened to Cat's heart pump in double time. But, before she could give (both of them) an answer, they were interrupted.

"I hate to break up the gossip girls, but we got an attempted homicide and possible rape. Move it!" Joe was as callous as ever.

"But chief, my shift's over!" Cat sounded as upset as Vincent felt, so much for an evening date.

"Don't care. I need numbers, Wolanski's at home puking his guts out."

He laughed at her dark muttering, before leaping off the rooftop to follow her.

**Catherine's POV**

Cursing Wolanski, Joe, Tess and anyone else she could think of, Cat quickly cut through the parting traffic. She had been this close to going home to Vincent. She tried to channel her frustration into something more productive like listening to Tess babble about the case. It didn't work.

They reached the crime scene: a nightclub in a trendy, relatively inexpensive part of town. Basically, an assembly point for college students. They passed the uniformed officers, and got to the taped off area behind the club where Joe stood with Evan.

"There you are. What the hell took you so long?" Annoyed, Joe swung round to glare at the two of them.

"Glad to see your cheery, rallying spirit is in full supply boss!" Joe glared at her but Tess just winked.

Cat rolled her eyes and moved over to Evan, passing by the EMT's loading a very battered girl into the back of an ambulance. She couldn't have been more than 18 years old.

"What we got?"

Smiling a little more warmly than he should giving they were at a crime scene; Doctor Evan Marks quickly gave her an update of the situation.

"College student, female, as of yet unidentified, she was found beaten up in the alley with extensive head wounds."

Cat couldn't help but feel as if Evan was dumbing it down for her. He sounded like a teacher. Maybe something to do with the accent.

"Who found her?"

"Err, not sure. M.E., remember?"

"Yeah right, so what are we thinking? She came out here, got her head smashed against the wall, maybe?"

"From the looks of things, yeah, I'd say that's a solid theory."

Tess came over to Cat.

"Okay from the looks of things, the girl was in the club. Uniforms are carrying out interviews now. She was found lying here by a bartender who had come to dump some trash."

"Right, Joe said attempted rape. You think she was at the club with someone, they came out here, he comes on too fast, she tries to say no, but ends up getting raped and then left to die to cover it up?"

"Fits. God! Son of a bitch, hope we catch him." Cat rubbed a sympathetic hand on Tess' arm, remembering she had a niece about to start college.

"We will."

Suddenly, there was some kind of commotion over by the barriers, Cat could hear someone shouting.

"WHITNEY!"

"Hey, get your hands off of him!"

Tess and Cat shared a meaningful look before going to see what was going on. They arrived to absolute chaos. They could see uniform trying to restrain a young boy and girl, both about the same age as the vic. They were both struggling, yelling at the top of the voices.

"Hey! HEY, break it up!" Marching over to the utter bedlam, she grabbed hold of the girl's arm, trying to calm her down. Tess did the same to the boy.

"Look, calm down. Listen to me. Hey!" The girl was stronger than she looked, and trying with all her might to throw Cat off.

"Look, you have to let me in. That's my friend there, please!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. Look, let's talk. You know the girl who was attacked?"

Suddenly, she grew very still. Cat could feel her shaking, she whispered, "Is she... is she dead?"

"No. She has been taken to hospital." Cat paused she didn't want to upset the girl, but at the same time didn't want to feed her false hope.

"But she has suffered extensive injuries. The doctors will do everything they can to help her. Now, if I let your friend and you go, will you just talk to us?"

She nodded silently.

Okay.' As Cat released her, she couldn't help but think that she looked somewhat familiar. The girl straightened her jacket, and brushed her long dark hair from her eyes.

She stood tense, fists clenched at her side defensively. Her large, heavily lined eyes warily watched Cat, trying to gauge her. Out of the corner of her eye, Cat saw Tess letting the boy go. He came to stand next to the girl, both of them looking scared and distraught.

"Right. Now tell us, what are the two of you doing here?" Cat saw the silent exchange pass between them. The girl stepped forward.

"I'm Jazz and this is Zach, we're Whitney's friends – I'm her roommate actually."

"Doesn't answer what you guys are doing here."

The guy, Zach, looked like he was about to argue with Tess but Jazz put a warning hand on his shoulder.

"We were at a study group and I got a text of someone I knew in the club. Suzy, she's in my class. Anyway, she said that the police were here and that Whitney had disappeared. Look, you gotta tell us what happened."

A fire burned bright in her eyes. Not only was she worried about her friend, but she was very, very angry. Cat ignored the warning look Tess shot her.

"She was found behind the club, beaten very badly. We think she's been raped, as well."

They both gaped at her. Then, without warning, Zach shouted, "Son of a bitch! I swear to God, I'm going to kill him."

"Oh god, I knew I should have gone with her, this is all my fault." Jazz sounded close to tears.

Tess interrupted their exchange. "Whoa, whoa. Wait, you mean the two of you know who attacked Whitney?"

Jazz took a deep breath before speaking. "I think I do. Whitney was chatting with some guy online. I hardly knew anything about it. Anytime I asked her, she would clam up. But before I left for study group, she was getting ready to go out tonight. She had been really excited for like a week or two. I thought maybe it had something to do with the guy. So, while she was in the shower, I read the messages he had sent her on Facebook."

Cat interrupted.

"What? She just left everything logged on? If she was as uptight about this as you say, it doesn't make sense for her to just leave everything up for you to read."

"She didn't."

"Then how...?" Cat was confused.

"I sort of ... you know...I-I may have, hacked into her computer and Facebook account..." Jazz explained in a small voice, not quite reaching their eyes.

"Okay, ignoring that. What was there?" Jazz grimaced and glanced towards Zach.

"Let's just say the two of them were... close. And they had plans to meet up tonight. But before I could read anymore, Whitney came out the shower, saw what I was reading and got really mad."

Cat felt sorry for the girl, as she saw her wince at the memory.

"She started yelling about invasion of privacy, and I tried telling that I was worried about her. I said she was crazy for going to meet this guy alone, she didn't even know who he was. I offered to go with her, but she told me to get lost. So I left. I should have gone with her anyway, but I was so pissed at her for being so stupid. And now, she's paying the price for that."

Jazz bent her head and Cat could tell tears were streaming down her face, Zach looked just as upset as her, as her put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"Look, do you guys know which hospital she's being taken to?"

Rather than give him an answer, Tess said, "Look I know you want to be with your friend right now, but I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us to give us a statement, and contact details for Whitney's next of kin."

They both nodded, Jazz straightened up and wiped the tears from her face. Cat looked harder at her, desperately trying to think of why the girl was so familiar to her. Her brown eyes and the shape of her nose stirred a memory inside her. Shaking her head, Cat flipped to a new page in the notebook that she had been making notes in.

"Okay, so, I am going to need your full names, please."

Zach was the first to answer, no doubt eager to get this over and done with so he could go to the hospital. She briefly wondered at his relationship in regard to Whitney. He seemed very protective.

"Zachary Benjamin Miller."

Cat looked over to the girl. "And you?"

'Jasmine Alexa Keller.'

Cat's felt her heart stop.

**A/N: OOOHHHHHHH! So what did you guys think? I've had this idea in my head for SUCH a long time it feels so great to get stuck into it, I won't reveal just yet what Jazz's relationship to Vincent is just yet – but be prepared for a LOT of drama.**

**P.S. - I had so much trouble with her name at first she was Izzy (Isabelle) but then someone used that in their fic and I didn't want to steal and then she was Alex (Alexandra) but then I realized Bridget Reegan's character (Vincent's ex-fiancée) is going to be called Alex! I think the name is picked is pretty but not too girly?**

**Please tell me thoughts down in the review box! **

**Min xx**


	8. Collateral Damage

**A/N: Here you are guys, hope you enjoy! I am actually having so much fun writing about Jazz I have this whole plot line for her planned out! This one is a little shorter, but expect a long one next, don't forget to review. Min x**

**Vincent's POV**

Crouching on top of a nearby building, Vincent observed the crime scene below. It looked bad; his heart went out to the poor girl who had been attacked here. Maybe, when things had died down a little he could see what he could find?

But he momentarily forgot about everything else as Catherine pulled up, her mood still more than a little black. But she pushed it aside, for the sake of the case and the victim. He smiled, admiring her professionalism and recognizing the need to help someone. It was that need that had drawn him to becoming a doctor in the first place, but that need had failed to overcome the dark anger that had consumed him after his brothers had died.

The sound of Catherine's cool voice shook the ghosts of the past, he ground his teeth as he saw the British guy, Evan, smile at her. Barely repressing a growl he kept his eyes locked on the two of them, happily noting the careful space she was maintaining from him.

Suddenly, he could hear two very loud voices, they were worried and upset. He quickly jumped from on building to the next to get a closer look. He saw a boy and a girl trying to get past the barriers to the crime scene.

Watching carefully, he saw Catherine and Tess rushing to try and defuse the situation. He scrutinized the two teenagers carefully, the girl seeming so familiar to him. As she began to speak, introducing herself and the boy he felt his heart race – Jazz. Could it be? Could that young woman down there be the little girl he once knew, all grown up?

He swung down onto the fire escape to get a closer look. He couldn't be sure if it was her or not, she seemed so... different. Whatever doubt remained, was chased from his mind the moment she gave Catherine her full name. Abruptly, Vincent vividly remembered the day he had gone to visit Johnny and Kara and his new baby niece in the hospital.

Jazz had been born only a few hours before but Vincent had been delayed by traffic and his class running over. He remembered so clearly the feeling of holding that tiny thing in his arms for the first time. How amazed he had been. He had only seen his brother that happy once before and that was when Kara had agreed to marry him.

Vincent shook his head, trying to ignore the pain the memory of his eldest brother brought.

He looked closer at Jazz, wondering at the change ten years had bought. Not the exultant and carefree child he had once known. Someone strong, he realized, as she stood with fists clenched, defiantly staring at Catherine. But with the strength was something else, pain, disappointment, bitterness –emotions he knew so well.

Too well.

He bent his head, saddened at the thought that his baby niece had been collateral damage in the train wreck that was the Keller family. Observing Catherine, Vincent suddenly grew worried. What would her reaction be? And then there was J.T, and as much as he hated to admit it – Vincent was scared. Scared of reconnecting with someone from his past, scared of the danger that would put them in, and scared that ultimately, that little girl with eyes so similar to his own; would see him for what he really was.

A monster.

**Catherine's POV**

"Is something wrong, Detective...?"

Cat found her voice, as Jazz looked confusedly at her.

"Chandler, my name is Catherine Chandler, and no nothing is wrong. It's just your last name sounds very familiar."

Cat was lying through her teeth and she was sure Tess could tell.

"Really? I don't see why it would, most of my family are dead and gone."

Jazz sounded skeptical and embittered at the same time. Cat just shrugged, as if to say 'well who knows'.

"So, the two of you are gonna need to come with us to the precinct now if that's okay." Cat tried desperately to steel her shaking voice.

"Sure, will it take very long?" Zach asked, obviously still wanting to go after Whitney.

"No, not long." Tess placed her hand on Cat's shoulder and murmured, "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Not trusting herself to speak, Cat just nodded and smiled. Her head was spinning, thoughts in utter chaos.

This girl obviously had to be some kind of relation of Vincent's, why he had never mentioned her before? It wasn't just the familiarity of her features that reminded her of Vincent, she had same kind of strength about her, the quiet, sad strength of someone with a broken heart.

It dawned on her that Vincent was most likely here, watching her. He would have heard the whole thing. She swept her gaze upwards, desperately searching for him in the gloom, but she knew it was useless.

"Earth to Cat! Hey, Cat!" Tess' sharp voice bought her back to reality.

"If we're driving them back to the precinct, you may want to get your keys out and head to your car sometime soon."

"Yeah, sure. But, you know, someone's gonna need to update Joe on the situation. Look, you take these two to the precinct; I'll talk to Joe and grab a ride with Evan, or someone."

She tossed her suspicious looking partner her keys.

"Right...Are you sure you're okay, Cat?"

"Yeah, I'm fantastic."

Nodding, Tess strode off with Jazz and Zach trailing behind her. Cat didn't miss the questioning glance Jazz shot her over her shoulder as they left.

Taking a deep breath, knowing he could hear her, Cat softly said, "Vincent, I know you're here."

**Jazz's POV**

Well, that was just weird. Jazz was pondering about what had just happened with the cop. As far as she knew her juvie record had been sealed earlier this year.

So why the hell would a homicide detective know her name?

And not even her name, her 'family name'. Jazz snorted softly.

What a joke, family.

She may as well be called Jasmine All-My-Significant-Relatives-Are-Dead-Or-Hate-My-Guts.

Yeah, that works.

Zach shot a curious look, as they sat in (what she assumed was) Detective Chandler's squad car.

Huh, this seemed a lot nicer than the ones she used to hitch a ride in.

She shook her head at him, turning to look out of the window.

Poor guy, he was still clearly smitten with Whitney, but she had never given him a second glance. She was only half listening to the other cop, who was babbling about procedure and whatnot as she moved swiftly through the heavy traffic.

Thinking about the fight she and Whit had had earlier in the evening, Jazz felt those infuriating tears prick her eyes.

No. She would not cry. She had cried enough in the last 10 years.

Never again.

For as much pain she had endured, losing one person after another, she had grown a little stronger each time. Her skin a little thicker, her armor a little more resilient. She really didn't need anyone. She was fine on her own.

Whitney and Zach were fun sure, the closest friends she'd ever had, yet even they didn't know the full truth about her past. She had never imagined them becoming as important to her as they had.

As she sat in the back of a police car for the first time in nearly a year and a half, Jazz swore she would find the monster that had hurt her friend and show him what pain looked like.

As she stared out at the light rain that was starting to snake down the window, Jazz felt a shiver go through her.

It was almost as if she was being watched.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that, I'm trying not to reveal all of Jazz's backstory in one fell swoop, but do expect more info in the next chapter. I really hope you guys are enjoying this so far! I will try and update this as soon as I can, but I also have another BatB fic going (Saving Her, Saved Me) which is about the end of Bridesmaid Up, so I'll be trying to update that as well as this one so bear with me! I would really appreciate reviews down below! Min xx**


	9. Cracks In Our Foundations

**A/N: Hey guys, not quite sure how I feel about this chapter. I found it a little hard to get down. *shrugs* But you guys tell me what you think about it. Oh and by the way my friend talenevertold wrote a sort of filler between Chapters 4 and 5 - it's so awesome! Please check it out, she's so cool :D It won't let me post a link D: If you search talenevertold on tumblr, you'll find it on her page :) **

**Catherine's POV**

Cat held back a startled shriek as Vincent dropped in front of her, seemingly out of nowhere. Taking a deep breath she studied his face, he looked upset and guarded. Swallowing her nervousness, she looked him straight in the eye.

"Look, you need to tell me what's going on, Vincent. That girl, Jasmine? Who is she?"

He said nothing just looking at his feet. Something close to fear shot through Cat's heart. Why wouldn't he speak to her? Was the truth really that horrible? It occurred to her that she knew next to nothing about his life before Muirfield. All she knew was that he had two brothers who he had lost and that he was a doctor.

It was more than likely that he had a girlfriend, someone he cared about, a family. Could it be possible that this girl was his daughter? That would explain the resemblance. The thought almost brought tears to her eyes. She knew it was wrong but here was another thing reminding her that Vincent had had a life before her. And that the man she loved held secrets and apparently didn't trust her enough to divulge them to her. But, she was determined to get through to him.

Lifting her hand, she placed it against his scar and breathed so softly, "Tell me."

But he just pulled away and turned and disappeared into the night before she could blink. Catherine finally let the tears flow, streaming down her cheeks, the symptoms of a breaking heart.

**Vincent's POV**

Vincent resisted the urge to punch his fist through a brick wall. He had seen the hurt ripple on Catherine's face as he tore his face from her touch. He had wanted nothing more to stay, but as he looked into her pleading hazel eyes he just couldn't summon the strength to let the words out. He couldn't bear to tell her about Jazz and his family. It was too painful. Too painful a reminder of what he had lost, and what he could never have again.

Clenching his fists, Vincent sprang to clamber up to the room of a nearby building. He didn't want to go home, but he didn't want to face Catherine either. He had hurt her. That caused him more pain than he could stand to bear, but that didn't change the fact that he wouldn't be able to tell her.

He put his face in his hands, the memories coming faster and faster. The first time Jazz said his name, the first time he kissed Alex, his brother's having a beer with him, his mother kissing him on the forehead, and his father so proud of his son.

"If only they could all see me now."

Bitterness filled his heart, and for the first time in his life he allowed the beast to be free. He longed for the numbness that the beast would bring, the simple feeling of being an animal acting on instinct.

Savoring the sensation of liberty, the beast flexed his muscles and roared and then disappeared into the night.

**Catherine's POV**

_"Oh crap."__  
_  
Cat fiercely scrubbed her cheeks and shoved her hair from her face and swiftly walked back to the crime scene. She spotted Joe and, remembering her promise to Tess, pulled him aside and told him about Zach and Jazz.

"Look boss, we had two teenagers both friends of the vic. They claim to have knowledge on the perp, some guy the girl,Whitney, had been chatting to online."

"Okay, good work Chandler. Where are they now?"

"Tess drove them to the precinct to get statements."

"Okay. Hey, are you alright?" Joe put a hand on her arm, looking at her concerned.

"Sure, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess." She avoided his knowing gaze.

Satisfied for the moment, he nodded and released her.

"Okay. Go home, Chandler. Get some rest. Vargas can handle the statements."

Cat forced a smile. Joe had no idea that the last thing she wanted to do was go home and feel the emptiness of her bed without Vincent. To try and force laughter and nonchalance for her sister, and to lie there feeling tears course their way down her cheeks. No, how would Joe know that?

"Thanks boss."

Striding away from the scene, Cat swore as she realized Tess had her car. Just as she thought she was going to have to walk home, Evan pulled up.

"Need a lift?"

He shot her a smile which was genuine with a hint of suggestiveness.

Rolling her eyes, Cat replied, "You headed to the precinct?"

"Yeah."

She chewed her lip. The last thing she wanted was to get in another awkward situation with Dr. Evan Marks. But then again, there was no way she was walking home. She could always just grab her keys and her car once she got there.

"Sure. Thanks, Evan."

He swung the door open for her and replied, "No problem."

"So, what was all the commotion back there?"

Cat swung her head round to meet his questioning gaze.

"Ah, friends of the vic heard from someone at the club about the attack. They were worried."

Evan just nodded. "Understandable."

Cat found herself looking out of the window again, searching for Vincent she knew, which was incredibly stupid of her. He had made it pretty clear that he wasn't in the mood for sharing. Why should she force him?

Except there was more to it than that. If Vincent couldn't open up to her then he it probably meant that whatever it was, was just too painful to him. Or... he didn't trust her enough. Closing her eyes, Cat could feel a pounding headache coming on. She breathed deeply and tried to push aside whatever pain that was clouding her judgment. Barely, registering in her ears was Evan's attempt at conversation.

They pulled into the precinct and she shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks for the lift, Evan."

He looked worried. "No problem, anytime. Look, are you okay?"

How many times were people going to ask her that today?

"I'm great."

And how many times would she lie to them?

**Jazz's POV**

This. Was. Taking. Forever.

Jazz was pretty sure her head was going to explode if they didn't let her out of here. Zach was pacing , wearing a path into the carpet, while Jazz sat with her feet on the table of whatever room the cop, Detective Vargas, has stuck them in.

"Look, how much longer is this going to take? I thought we'd be out of here by now!"

Zach was alternating gazes between his watch and Jazz. She rolled her eyes.

"Look. For the hundredth time, man, cops like to take their goddamn time. And waste as much of yours as possible. So, quit trying to speed up time, you aint some kind of Timelord. Sit down."

She closed her eyes wearily, her patience running thin. Ever since they had got there he had been an impatient wreck, constantly whining to go and see Whitney. It wasn't like she was not anxious to see Whitney, it was just...

Oh, she didn't know what she was feeling. Between the generally crappy day she'd had, the overall weirdness of what happened with Detective Chandler, the fact her birthday was coming up...

It all wound up making her feel tired, grouchy and pissed off.

Finally, Detective Vargas came through the door. Jazz bit back her smile as Zach muttered, "Alleluia."

"Okay, so I spoke to my boss and he's gonna need to you to bring in Whitney's laptop. I.T. can check the messages and track down whoever it was that attacked Whitney."

Jazz nodded, thinking she could probably do it herself, saving the trip from their dorm to the precinct again. But hey, whatever the cop wanted, right?

"Okay, but do we have to do that now?"

"No, you two can go to the hospital now. I need to speak with the doctors, anyway."

Zach and Jazz both heaved sighs of relief, glad to finally be able to see Whitney. They had been stuck at the precinct for almost an hour, as their statements were taken yada, yada, yada. Surprisingly, Jazz had felt almost nostalgic and not at all nervous to be back at a police precinct. Maybe something to do with the fact she was there of her own volition and sans handcuffs.

This time.

She swung on her leather jacket and walked towards the door behind Zach. As Detective Vargas paused to speak with another officer, something caught Jazz's eye. Moving slowly, almost as if in a trance, she carefully lifted the various notes pinned to the board, revealing the photograph that lay underneath.

"_What the hell?!"_

Staring back at her was the face of Vincent Keller.

"Is this some kind of a sick joke?" Jazz wasn't sure if she had even spoken aloud or not.

She was vaguely aware of Zach and the Detective coming towards her, but their words blurred into noise as she gawked at the picture of her long dead uncle.

What the hell was it doing up on a police board?

A dark torrent of emotion swept through her. She felt 10 years of fury, hate and grief overflow inside her.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, spinning around she found herself face to face with Detective Chandler.

"Jazz. I need you to put that down."

Shaking, Jazz realized that she had torn the photo from the board.

"What... why...why is this even here? He's dead!"

Jazz couldn't hold back her anger even though she knew it was misdirected. Belatedly, she realized that the detective wasn't meeting her eye.

**Catherine's POV****  
**

Great.

This was just great.

What the hell was the stupid board still doing up anyway?

Cat thought the investigation into Vincent had been stopped. Her headache in full force, she struggled to think of an appropriate answer for the trembling girl. Her brown eyes, so alike to Vincent's, bore into hers, burning with anger and hurt. Emotions she had seen mirrored in Vincent's eyes so many times before.

Before she could speak, Tess interrupted. "You know that guy?"

Jazz tore her gaze from Cat's to answer Tess.

"He's my father." was what Cat expected to hear. Instead Jazz said, "He was my uncle. Emphasis on the 'was'."

Taking a deep breath, she crumpled the picture up, shrugged out from under Cat's hand, and strode out of the room. Zach looked apologetically at the both of them before running after her. Cat heard Jazz yell at him. Tess and Cat looked at each other, and Cat sighed before striding through the doors. Jazz had disappeared but Zach was still standing there, his head bent.

"Hey, you okay?"

Cat walked over to the boy. She felt bad for him, one of his friends attacked, the other freaking out in a police station. There's only so much a nineteen year old can take.

"Yeah, it's just... I've never seen her like that. She's always been strong. And sure, she's got a temper on her. But that? That was a whole different person." He rubbed his hands over his face, You think I could still get that lift to the hospital?"

"Sure, head inside. I think Tess is waiting for you."

She watched him walk away, trying to decide what to do next. Underneath, she felt some small kind of relief.

Jazz wasn't Vincent's daughter.

She didn't care if that was selfish or not. Gabbing her keys, she mulled over what had just happened.  
Jazz obviously had issues associated with her past and seeing her 'dead' uncle's face plastered all over a board couldn't have helped either.

Cat smacked herself in the head. No wonder Vincent didn't want to talk about it. If he was feeling the same pain Cat had seen etched on Jazz's face, then it was no wonder he was clamming up.

"Oh, god."

Cat had tried to push him into telling her, no doubt re-opening old wounds. She started to run towards her car. She had to find him, and then she would get some answers.

**A/N: Hope you all liked that, give me some reviews! :D Side note, who would be interested in me doing a playlist for each chapter? Let me know.****  
****  
****Min xx****(P.S I'm on Christmas holidays as of now so I should be updating a little quicker – fingers crossed!)**


	10. Heartbreak and Apologies

**A/N: Here's a very long chapter for you all, leave me a review! Min x**

**Jazz's POV**

_Keep running. Just keep running. One foot in front of another. Just keep going. Don't think about where you're going, or why you're running. Just keep running._

Jazz repeated the words over and over in her head as she cut through the throng of people. It was a technique she had come to use over the years, a way of numbing herself from pain.

Running was second nature to her now. She had run from angry shopkeepers that she had stolen from, She had run from determined cops. She had run from countless social workers and foster families. It was what she knew.

But this time it wasn't working, she kept thinking about her uncle, about Vincent.

_'Uncle Vince?'_

_'Yeah, honey?'_

_'Promise me you won't leave like Daddy and Uncle Darren?'_

_'I promise, Jazz.'_

"You lied." She whispered feeling the tears course their way down her cheeks.

"You lied to me, Uncle Vincent."

He had gone and died on her. He had left her in this mess all by herself. In just two years the little girl with the sunny smile had lost her father and uncles, her mother had lost the love of her life and her grandparents had lost all three of their sons.

It wasn't fair.

Her chest heaving, Jazz eventually came to a stop, realizing she was in Central Park. She took a deep breath and scrubbed the tears away. Standing there with her eyes closed, Jazz placed her hands on her forehead. She thought about that day 11 years ago when her world had been shattered.

She had woken up early to watch Scooby-Doo, and her dad had made her pancakes. He was going into work early because Uncle Darren started his new job with dad's company that week. Jazz remembered clearly her dad coming into the living room of their small apartment where she sat in front of the TV, in her PJ's, nuzzling her ratty old teddy bear.

_"Hey kiddo, I'm heading out. Don't wake your mom, she's really tired. OK?"_

Jazz had just nodded, eagerly watching Mystery Inc. trying to figure out all the clues. Her dad had chuckled a little before lightly pulling her messy pigtails and kissing her on the forehead.

_"I love you, J.K." _

It was their joke. He had been reading the Harry Potter books to Jazz and she had gotten excited because both their initials were (sort of) the same as J.K Rowling's.

Jazz recalled the memory of twisting around for the shortest moment, afraid to miss a second of the cartoon, and calling to her father, _"I love you too, JK!"_

He had smiled at waved before walking out of the door. And as 8 year old Jazz turned back to the TV, she hadn't known it then but that would be the very last time she saw her father.

**J.T's POV**

"Geez, Vincent where are you?"

J.T glanced at his watch for what seems like the millionth time that hour. Too say he was worried was an understatement, he hadn't seen Vincent since this morning, and Vincent had seemed... weird.

As J.T nervously paced, he mused over how Vincent had charged in, jumping in the shower before J.T could even ask him where the hell he had been all night. When Vincent had finally appeared, he was in just as much of a rush to leave again.

_"Hello? Vincent, where the heck are you going? Actually, first of all, where the hell were you all night?"_

J.T remembered his astonishment as Vincent (Vincent Keller, of all people!) blushed.

"_Uh, I was just out, getting some air. Didn't you get my note?"_

Taking in Vincent's frantic energy and the stupid grin he couldn't seem to keep off his face, J.T came to a conclusion.

_"Oh my god. OH MY GOD. You were with Catherine, weren't you? Weren't you?! The whole night? Dude!"_

Vincent had simply rolled his eyes, but he wouldn't look his oldest friend quite in the eyes.

_"Yeah, I was with her for a while... Look man I gotta go, see you later."_

And with that, Vincent had disappeared.

J.T had tried to put it out of his mind. Still, he couldn't help but wonder why Vincent would have spent the whole night with her. Actually, scratch that. J.T had a pretty good idea why.

Eww.

J.T. considered calling Catherine, maybe she knew where the hell Vincent was. Almost as if he had summoned her, J.T heard Cat knocking on the door.

"J.T? J.T, it's Cat. You there?"

Uh oh.

She sounded stressed. Cautiously, J.T opened the door. Before he could say another word, she strode past him as if she owned the place. Rolling his eyes, J.T walked towards, observing her restless energy.

"What's up? Listen, have you seen Vincent?"

"He's not here?" She looked disappointed and as J.T looked closer at her, she seemed very upset.

"No... I thought he might be with you. Oh man, you mean you haven't seen him?" She looked at him, almost as if she was deliberating her answer.

"No, I have seen him, but I actually came here to ask you something."

Now there was something unexpected.

"Shoot." J.T felt vaguely nervous, as the detective shifted from side to side.

"Okay. Actually, go get a Tums first." Okay, now he was really worried. He did as she said, he didn't want to piss her off in the mood she was in.

"Right, now what was your question?"

"Yes, my question. Right, look I just want an honest answer. No bullshit, no avoiding the truth. Okay?"

He nodded in assent, wondering where this was going. She took a deep breath.

"Who is Jazz?"

At first J.T thought that he had misheard her, never in a million years had he ever expected Catherine to ask about Jazz.

"How do you know about Jazz?" J.T asked, confusion mingling with suspicion.

"She showed up at a crime scene, long story. She's Vincent's niece, right?"

J.T simply nodded. "Yeah, his only niece. They were pretty close. Like peas in a pod, we used to say."

J.T smiled fondly at the memory of Vincent playing with little Jazz. Like everyone else, he was totally wrapped around her little finger. He acted like such a goofball around her, but he didn't care.

"Jazz was Johnny's, the older brother, daughter. Things got pretty tough for her, I guess. I mean, she was only 8 when he and Vincent's other brother Darren died in the towers."

"And then she lost someone else a year later." Catherine muttered, mostly to herself.

Realization suddenly dawned on J.T.

"Wait, she was at a crime scene? Why?"

Catherine sighed and sat down. "A friend of hers was attacked earlier tonight. Jazz and another friend heard about it and went to the scene to see what was going on. But, thing is, Vincent was there. He saw her and I tried to ask him about it but he clammed up and just... vanished."

Catherine sounded close to tears. He wondered what Vincent had said to her.

"Oh, god. What about Jazz, did she see him?"

She shook her head. "But she did see his photo in the precinct. I have no idea why it was there, maybe from the Webster case. And she kind of freaked out, and then did a disappearing act like Vincent."

"You were right, I'm gonna need that Tums."

Catherine just put her head in her hands.

"Hey...um, are you okay?" J.T felt awkward and stupid. He and Catherine shared a strained relationship at the best of times, so he had no idea how to comfort her.

"No. J.T., I mean, Vincent and I were so happy this morning. And now, I've screwed it up. I pushed him to talk to me about his past, and I hurt him. I hurt Vincent."

She took a shuddering breath.

"Before I thought that this just showed me that I don't know anything about Vincent's past. I mean, I get that it's hard for him. I don't want to be selfish here, but if we are... what we are together. Then we have to tell each other things. But right now, I... I just want to know that he's okay."

Catherine's voice filled with despair and heartbreak. Hesitantly, J.T reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder.

"He'll be fine, Cat. He... he's probably just taking some time to think it over. I mean it's a huge shock for him to see someone from his past like that. And Jazz... she must have changed a hell of a lot in 10 years – that can't have been easy for him."

Catherine just nodded.

**Vincent's POV**

"_I should probably go J.T, if you see him could you..."_

"_I'll tell him."_

"_Thanks."_

The sound of Catherine's hurt-riddled voice bought a sharp pain to the beast's chest. He felt his muscles relax and slowly morph back to Vincent. Vincent took a breath and realized that he had subconsciously come home whilst in 'beast mode'. Not wanting to miss Catherine, Vincent jumped over the fence and swiftly made his way to where Catherine and J.T were sitting.

"Hey."

The both whipped their heads around at the sound of his voice. J.T. looked like he was about to faint. Catherine looked relieved, but at the same time as if she was holding back tears.

"Dude! There you are! Have you got any idea how worried me and Cat have been? You can't just disappear on us like that."

"J.T., don't." Catherine laid a hand on his arm and got up to slowly walk over to where he was standing with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

Vincent could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest, she took a deep breath.

"Vincent. I am so sorry."

He went to interrupt her. How could she be the one apologizing to him? He was the one who had hurt her! This was completely ridiculous.

"No, let me say this Vincent. I shouldn't have pushed you to open up. I understand why you don't want to talk about things to do with your past with me. I really do. Just know that if you ever do need to talk, I'm here."

Vincent felt a myriad of emotions swirl within him. He despised himself for hurting her, but if he was honest with himself there was some truth in what she said.

"Catherine. I... I'm so, so, sorry that I hurt you. It's not that I don't want to talk to you. It's just, my past, the life I had before, for me to talk about it, just..." Vincent trailed off, unable to find the words.

Catherine took a step forward and placed her palm over the jagged scar on his cheek.

"It's just too painful." She stated.

He nodded, and in that moment he had never been more profoundly grateful or thankful for Catherine. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close against his chest. Her arms linked around his neck. She kissed his cheek and then pressed her face against his neck. The tenderness of the gesture touched Vincent.

He buried his face in the sweet fragrance of her hair and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, you'll just have to make it up to me later."

A teasing note colored her voice, causing Vincent to smile. He leaned back from their embrace and shot a look over Catherine's head.

"J.T, I'm sorry man."

J.T just threw his hands in the air, "Yeah, yeah we get it you're sorry. So are you two... like a thing now?"

Vincent gazed down at Catherine, who smiling back at him, her hands moving down to his shoulders.

"Yeah."

He looked at Catherine and felt joy in his heart, she was his and he was hers. Before he could stop himself he leaned down to kiss her passionately. She responded with twining her hands in his hair.

"Oh, god. Okay, wow. Seriously? Guys. GUYS. Stop. I do NOT need to see this! Just get a room, geez!"

Vincent pulled his lips away from Catherine's for a second.

"Technically, this is my room, so..." Catherine giggled, the sound of her laughter alone being enough to make that stupid grin reappear.

"I swear to god Vincent, I will tell her about every single one of your ex-girlfriends, including my prom date!"

Catherine tore her lips from Vincent's, whipping her head around. "OOH. What? J.T., tell me!"

J.T smirked as Vincent glared at him.

"Oh, and remember that night in college with the tequila and the bungee jump cord..."

"Okay fine, J.T! Man, you gotta lighten up!"

J.T grinned and turned away as Catherine pouted and whined, "Aw, but I want to hear about the night with the tequila!"

Vincent groaned. "Thanks man!"

"No problem, dude!" J.T called from the other side of the room.

Vincent chuckled looking down at Catherine, who was doing her best puppy dog face.

"Vincent..."

He threw his head back and laughed. "No freaking way!"

"Oh pleas- VINCENT!"

Vincent had picked her up and threw her over his shoulder – seemed a good way to distract her. He strode purposefully to the other side of the room.

"VINCENT KELLER, PUT ME DOWN!"

"God, Catherine. Do you have to be so loud? Super sensitive hearing, remember?"

Vincent sniggered as she beat her fists against his back –as if that would convince him to put her down. But he felt sorry for her, and with a sigh he pulled around so she was cradled in his arms.

"Not funny, Keller. Not funny at all."

She tried to remain stony faced, crossing her arms. But Vincent simply started to kiss her. The tip of her nose, her cheeks, her eyelids. He only brushed past her lips, he could feel her trembling.

"What was that you were saying, Detective Chandler?"

"Uh, nothing. Nothing at all." She was breathless. He pulled back and saw the ecstatic smile on his face mirrored in hers.

"Good."

And she pulled his lips back to hers.

**A/N: Yay! I wanted them to make up in this chapter – I know there's not a whole lot of Jazz, but it will all be paid off eventually – I swear. I hope you all enjoying this so far, trust me there is a whole lot of drama to come! Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and guys only 31 days until Seeing Red! **

**Min xx**

**OHMYGOD. WHOEVER WATCHES MERLIN. I CANNOT STOP CRYING. THANKS, BBC. CHRISTMAS RUINED.**


	11. A Promise

**A/N: Firstly, I hope everybody had a wonderful and Christmas and has a very happy New Year! 3 Here you are guys, hope you like this chapter :D Leave me a review – and thank you to everyone who favorited, reviewed and followed so far Min xx**

**Catherine's POV**

Cat rolled over so she was face to face with Vincent, the tips of their noses touching.

"What?"

She shook her head, smiling, as he reached a hand out to caress her face.

"What!?"

Her smile faded. She was going to have to talk to him about what had happened earlier at the precinct.

"Vincent, I know I said that you don't have to talk about your past with me. But, you should probably know that Jazz saw your photo at the precinct. I guess it's from the Webster case. I had no idea that they were continuing the investigation."

The words came faster and faster, blurring together. But her voice faded away into nothing, as his jaw locked and he closed his eyes.

"Did she... Did she say anything?"

Cat shook her head.

"She seemed angry and upset. She just told Tess that she was your niece and then she ran out of the precinct. By the time I got outside, she had disappeared."

Vincent opened his eyes and looked down at Catherine. She could see regret burning in his eyes. Cat placed her hands on his broad chest. She felt his arms slip around her, pulling her closer towards him.

Cat felt him take a deep breath. "You know, after my brothers died, I was so angry. I was so full of rage and I wanted... revenge."

She could feel Vincent's gravelly voice reverberating through his chest. "I forgot who I was before, I didn't think about what I was doing. How it would affect the people still left. The people I loved."

Cat didn't say anything, she just stroked his face, letting him get out whatever it was he wanted to say.

"The more I think about it, the more it hurts. Because Jazz was 8 years old and she lost her father and her uncle. The day of their funeral she made me promise to never leave her. And I did. I broke that promise the day I signed up for the army. I can still remember her face the day I left. And that's the part that kills me. Not the fact that I lost my life. Or that I am this...thing. Or even that I had to leave my family. The worst part is that I broke my promise to the one person who believed in me."

Cat felt tears of her own fall, as he closed his eyes and wept. She couldn't bear to see him like this.

"Vincent, look at me. We all make mistakes. But we can't spend forever dwelling on them. I mean, look at me. For 9 years, I pushed people away. I just relived my mother's murder again and again. It was the only thing I really cared about. But then I found you, and you showed me how wrong I was to push people away. You made me feel whole again, Vincent. And that's just one of the reasons why I love you."

Vincent looked down at her and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"And because I love you, I know that we can get through this. Together."

She believed this with all her heart, feeling a fierce sense of determination to help Vincent and do whatever she could to bring him and his family back together.

"I love you so much Catherine, and I am so grateful that you're a part of my life." Vincent buried his face in her hair.

And if reuniting Vincent with his family meant taking down Muirfield, well then, the wild hounds of hell wouldn't be able to stop her.

**Jazz's POV**

The night was cool and soothing. The rain didn't bother her. Jazz was perched high in one of her favorite trees in Central Park. She could hear the traffic, the soundtrack of the city all around her. It was like an old friend, familiar and comforting.

Jazz heaved a sigh. She should probably head back. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw 31 missed calls and 15 new messages from Zach.

Great. She dialed his number, biting her lip. How the hell was she going to explain this?

"Jazz?!"

Uh oh, he sounded worried. "Hey, Zach. Listen, are you at the hospital?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Where the hell are you?"

"Oh, you know... just about. SittinginatreeinCentralPark. SO! Listen, how's Whitney doing?"

"Wait, what? You're in Central Park? Ugh, never mind. She's in surgery right now. They-"

"Surgery! For what?"

Zach sighed heavily from the other end. "Her skull is fractured and she has some serious bleeding and the blood is collecting between her skull and her brain. I think the doctor said it was called an epidural hematoma, or something. They're trying to decrease the amount of blood there."

"Oh, god. Okay, okay, I'll be there soon. What hospital is she in?"

"New York General. Listen, do you know any way to get in contact with her mom?"

"Her mom? I dunno, I think Whit said she was going to Paris with her new boyfriend or something."

"Geez, I think her dad's on the way her. Okay, we'll talk about it when you get here."

"Okay." Jazz could practically hear Zach deliberating on the other end of the phone.

"So... we gonna talk about what happened back there?" Jazz exhaled heavily, knowing that this was coming.

She expertly clambered down the tree and jumped from the lowest branch, nimbly landing on the ground.

Jazz evaluated how much cash she had on her, and decided she had just enough to get a cab.

"Look, man, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out like I did. It's just, that guy... Vincent? He's been dead for 10 years, so it's was a shock to see his face there, I guess. But, it's nothing. I'm fine, honestly." She paused, holding her breath, praying that he would buy it.

"Okay, see you in 10 minutes?"

Jazz let out puff of air. Relief flooding through her. She forced a laugh. "Dude, we're in New York. And in this traffic? No way!"

"Oh, okay... I guess I'll see you in a bit then."

"Sure."

They hung up simultaneously.

Moving quickly to the curb of the street, Jazz,a lifelong New Yorker, let loose her best taxi whistle. Almost as if by magic, a cab pulled up to the curb.

"New York General Hospital, please."

"Sure thing."

As Jazz sat down in the cab she thought about why Vincent's photo had been there. Because the guy was dead. Like dead, dead. And while Jazz had very little admiration for cops, they wouldn't be stupid enough to investigative a man who had died thousands and thousands of miles away, 10 years ago. What would be there to investigate? He was a soldier; getting killed was an occupational hazard. Jazz was trying exceedingly hard to be detached and clinical about this. It wasn't working.  
So, if the circumstances surrounding Vincent's death had been suspicious then it would be investigated by an internal military investigative body, not the NYPD. That meant the only reason why a New York precinct may be looking in the death of a soldier would be if... he wasn't dead.

"No. Shut up, Keller."

Jazz was trying to make a conspiracy theory out of nothing. But in her heart, she knew it made sense. She was going to find out exactly what was going on.

And Jazz knew exactly where to start. Catherine Chandler.

**A/N: Oooh, Jazz is getting closer to the truth. How will Vincent and Catherine deal with this!?****Give us a review, much love :D ****BTW, for any of you that have a tumblr, I have set up a new blog, batb-confessions, where all of you can come and share your thoughts (anonymously) about BatB.**


	12. A Cup Of Comfort In The Morning

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys! **

**Okay be warned, this is a VERY long chapter, it feels like a bit of a filler to me – I want to get this stuff out of the way before I start writing about Jazz looking into Vincent's 'death'. Please leave me a review – they are SO motivational!**

**Vincent's POV**

"Vincent."

"Mmm..."

"Vincent."

"Yeahh..."

Wearily, Vincent cracked open one eye, to see Catherine sitting on his bed, shaking him by the arm. Surprisingly, she was wearing her clothes.

"Catherine?"

"Hey, the zombie awakes! Listen, I gotta go to work, so I'll see you later. Tonight?"

Blearily, Vincent sat up and drank in the sight of Catherine. Her hair was tied back her cheeks and lips a delicate pink in the gray light filtering through the windows of the warehouse. Without warning, he leaned forward and kissed her.

"Morning."

'Well, morning to you too!" He smiled at her flustered tone. "But I really have to go. I am very, very late."

Catherine sounded as regretful as he felt. Vincent rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had only fallen asleep after hours of tossing and turning, thinking about what he should do about Jazz. Obviously, he couldn't get in contact with her. The entire point of him cutting himself off from his family was so they wouldn't be dragged into Muirfield's radar. But they had to make sure that she didn't figure out the truth.

"Penny for your thoughts." Catherine smiled gently at him.

"I was just wondering, what we should do about Jazz." Catherine just nodded in silence. "I mean, we can't let her get too close to the truth. That would just put her in danger. But we can't risk getting into contact with her, either."

"Vincent." Catherine placed both her hands against his face. "We will figure it out."

She placed a light kiss on the end of his nose, and as she moved to get off the bed Vincent instinctively clung to her. Laughing she twisted around his arms.

"Look I really have to go. I need to go home and get changed. And somehow explain to Heather why I didn't come home last night."

He growled softly, kissing her neck. The throbbing of Catherine's heart contradicted her words. He heard her breath come faster and quicker.

"Okay, Vincent... Vincent, seriously... I..."

Now they were both lying on the bed, with Vincent about to slip Catherine's jeans off.

"VINCENT! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE, NOW."

Vincent, let out a sigh of exasperation. Catherine giggled at the frustrated expression clearly written on his face.

"Go see what J.T wants. Don't worry, we'll continue this tonight."

Smiling suggestively, she lightly pushed his chest, sitting up and righting herself. Groaning, Vincent tried not to listen to J.T's mutterings and instead focused on finding his clothes.

"VINCENT!"

Seriously, J.T needed to relax.

"COMING, MAN. YOU DON'T NEED TO SHOUT."

Vincent rolled his eyes at Catherine, noticing her eyes lingering on his torso.

"See something you like babe?" He winked lewdly.

She proceeded to throw his shirt at him. "Get dressed, Keller."

Vincent admired her as she sauntered away. He shook his head, pulling his shirt over his head. He made his way downstairs, seeing both Catherine and J.T gaping at the TV mounted on the wall. Vincent's question died in his throat as he saw the report on the news.

_"Police have identified the victim of this brutal attack as 19 year old Whitney Harrigan. It is said two friends of the victim have confirmed that Whitney, who is attending NYU, was meeting an online acquaintance at this club. Is this just another example of how our children are increasingly being put in danger online? Does it show how our young people are at risk? This is Katie Foster reporting for CNN."_

Pictures of Whitney were shown on the screen, a few of them with Jazz and Zach. Vincent looked closely at Jazz, he saw how her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Something he had seen many times on Catherine's face over the years as he observed from afar.

"Shit, Joe is going to go crazy when he hears about this."

Vincent turned to see Catherine pulling her cell phone out.

As she bit her lip, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Sighing, she looked up at him to meet his gaze.

"30 missed calls from Heather and 20 from Tess. Great."

She pulled the phone up to her ear. Vincent could hear the dialtone.

_"Yeah, Whitney and Jazz are pretty close. The three of us hang out all the time. I can't believe this has happened."_

The sound of Jazz's name emitting from the TV captured Vincent's attention. He saw a short, blonde girl with heavy makeup preening towards the camera.

_"So would you say that you were close to Whitney and her friends?"_

_"Oh yeah sure, I mean we were tight."_

"Wow, kids will do anything for their 15 minutes of fame, I guess." J.T had slumped in his armchair and was nursing a beer.

"Well at least they didn't mention her last na-"

J.T cut him off and gestured to the screen.

"And once again Whitney Harrigan is pictured here with roommate Jasmine Keller."

Okay. Maybe they were in trouble.

"Look J.T, just because they mention her name on the news, it doesn't mean that Muirfield is gonna track her down. Right?"

Before J.T could answer, Vincent and Catherine winced simultaneously at the screeching emanating from her phone.

Vincent mouthed, "Heather?"

Catherine gave an exasperated sigh and nodded, holding up one finger.

**Jazz's POV**

"Jazz."

She could feel someone shaking her by the arm, but she didn't want to abandon sleep just yet.

Stubbornly, she screwed her eyes shut even tighter.

"Jazz, c'mon, wake up. The cops are here."

Groaning, Jazz uncurled herself from the tight ball she had fallen asleep in. Sitting up she saw Zach leaning over her, and two cops she didn't recognize standing in the doorway of Whitney's room.

Before she spoke, Jazz looked over at Whitney, there didn't seem to be any change. She was still unconscious from the anesthetic the doctor's had given her.

One of the cops stepped forward.

"It's Jazz and Zach right?"

She nodded, unable to take her eyes of the purple bruises and red cuts that littered her friend's beautiful face.

"My name's Joe Bishop. I believe you met two of my detectives last night, Detectives Chandler and Vargas?"

This time Zach answered. "Yeah, but I thought we were done. I mean we've both given our statements."

Jazz looked up and saw the blatant discomfort on his face.

"What is it now? What's happened?"

"I'm afraid there's been some kind of leak to the press."

"Leak. What the hell do you mean by leak?"

Jazz could feel panic rising in her throat, she cloaked it with anger instead.

"Apparently somebody has told the press everything about the attack. They've given Whitney's name, the nature of the attack and her injuries. And the press know about your involvement."

"Involvement?"

Jazz turned to look at Zach. She could see her own panic mirrored in his eyes.

"Look ,I am just as upset about the situation as the two of you, but I'm afraid the press have got hold of your names and your relationship to Whitney. They know what college you go to and where Whitney's being treated. Until we can get them to pull the reports, I'm afraid the two of you are going to have to stay out of the public eye."

Great. This was just brilliant.

"What about school? Our classes?"

"I'm afraid you can't go. We have notified NYU of the situation. I believe arrangements are going to be made for any work missed."

Jazz rubbed her palm against her forehead. She really needed to have shower and get out of these clothes.

"Can we go home?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid you'll have to be discreet about it. The press are pretty... eager to get interviews with you guys."

Jazz sighed, knuckling her forehead in an effort to rid the throbbing pain. Zach thanked the Captain or whatever he was and promised that they'd be careful and alert. As soon as the two cops had left the room, both of them pulled their cell phones out. Scrolling through Twitter and Facebook, they groaned in unison.

"Oh my god..."

One report after another, stating not only theirs and Whitney's names but what their majors were, what college they went to, there were even photos of the three of them on nights out.

"This is completely insane! How are they gonna pull ALL of this?"

"I have no freaking idea."

Jazz really didn't need this. She walked towards the window and saw a crowd near the hospital entrance. The sight provoked deep fury within her. Her friend's life was hanging in the balance. She had been the victim of a vicious attack, and all they cared about was getting the story as soon as possible.

Jazz chuckled a humorless laugh, to think she was majoring in journalism. And here she was criticizing those who were doing the job she was working so hard to get.

Still, she believed strongly in ethics and respecting the point of a story, something these vultures could use a lesson in. Jazz turned from the window at the sound of Zach's voice.

"Jazz?!"

"Sorry dude, I think I'm still half asleep." She offered an apologetic smile.

"Look, I think you should head back to your place, shower and maybe catch a few hours sleep. And you still have to take the laptop to the precinct – remember?"

She smacked her forehead, the laptop! How could she have forgotten?!

"And maybe while you're there you can see if they've managed to get in contact with Whit's mom or dad?"

Jazz nodded, and then a thought struck her.

"Hang on. I thought her dad was on his way here last night?"

"Well I thought so, too. But, apparently not."

Jazz just nodded, chewing her lip. Whitney had a distant relationship with her parents. Her father had left her mother when Whit was young, a trust fund baby, never really giving a second's thought to the daughter he left behind. Her mother on the other hand, was a real piece of work. A self confessed gold digger, she thrived on the misery of others, and it was often her daughter caught in the crossfire.

"Okay, call if anything happens?"

"Yep."

Jazz reached to give her friend a comforting hug. She knew it was breaking his heart to see Whitney like this.

"She'll pull through, okay? She's a fighter."

Zach nodded and they embraced for a second more before Jazz pulled away and left the room.

When Jazz had first met Whitney, she never expected the rich, blonde girl to become her closest friend. Jazz had anticipated a snooty brat, someone who rubbed their own fortune in the faces of others. Spoiled babies, wrapped in the cocoon of their own lives, not giving a damn about anyone but themselves and their credit cards.

And yet Whitney had proved her wrong. Yes she was loud and raucous (fun-loving was the term she preferred) while Jazz was more quiet and reserved. And while it was true that Whitney was by no means poor, she still appreciated everything she had. She had a large heart and cared about those around her and it was that which had endeared her to Jazz.

Heading down the stairs, Jazz made her way to the exit furthest from the main entrance, where the mob was gathered. It felt like a lifetime since she had walked down these halls, the last time being when she had come with her dad to visit Uncle Vincent.

_"Daaadddddyyyyyy, I wanna get ice cream, you promised we could get ice cream!"_

_"Shhhh, Jazz. We will, we just have to drop something off to Uncle Vince first."_

The little girl just huffed in frustration, as her father pulled her by the hand hurriedly moving through the corridors of the hospital. Finally they came to a stop by a small door which read 'staff room'.

Jazz peeked from around her father's knees to see a handful of people sitting down – some drinking out of mugs and wearing white coats like the one Vincent had.

_"Hey Vince!"_

Jazz smiled as she saw her favorite uncle walk over to them.

_"Hey, thanks for doing this for me Johnny."_

_"No prob, little bro. So you really doing this, huh?"_

6 year old Jazz wondered what could be in the little red box that her dad was handing over to Vincent. She grew more and more confused as she saw her uncle grin. But she all she wanted to do was get out of the hospital, (she didn't like them, they smelt funny) and go and get ice cream. It was rare that her father would get a day off and he had promised that they would go to the park.

Impatiently, she tugged her father's hand.

_"Daaaaaaddddd..."_

Vincent looked down at her as if he was only just noticing she was there.

_"Well, if it isn't the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. Come here, you!"_

Jazz giggled hysterically as Vincent swooped her up in his arms and tickled her.

_"Uncle Vince, tell daddy to get me ice cream!"_

Johnny rolled his eyes while Vincent looked at her shocked.

_"Ice cream! But it's only 11:30, greedy guts!"_

_"Yeah, but it's a special day!"_

_"Oh? And why is that, Jazzy?"_

Jazz chewed her lip, thinking hard.

_"Because it's the third Saturday of the third month. And everyone knows that we have to get early morning ice cream on the third Saturday of the third month."_

She nodded, pleased with herself. Gramps had taught her how to read a calendar last week. Vincent threw his head back and laughed at the little girls antics.

_"What's so funny, Doctor Keller?"_

Both Vincent's and Johnny faces dropped at the sound of Alex's voice, Vincent hastily shoving the little box in his pocket, while Jazz leaped down from his arms to give her uncle's girlfriend a hug.

"_Well hey there kiddo, you giving your uncle trouble?"_

Jazz solemnly shook her head, whilst the red-haired doctor simply smiled and looked up to where the two brothers stood.

_"What brings you to the hospital, Johnny?"_

_"Just bringing Jazz to say hi, and, umm... drop off Vincent's wallet."_

_"Yup, wallet!"_

_"Honestly, Vince if your head wasn't screwed on, you'd forget that as well!"_

She shook her head indulgently at him, while Jazz looked confused. Dad had given Vincent a box, not his wallet. Before she could open her mouth to say anything her father put his fingers to his lips, gesturing for her to not say anything.

It was only a few years later that Jazz had realized they had been delivering the engagement ring Vincent would give to Alex later that evening. Jazz shook her head out of her reverie, making her way past the same staff room. It was that moment that she saw a familiar red-headed doctor.

Alex.

**Catherine's POV**

"Heather, calm down! I'm fine, okay? I just crashed at Tess' last night. We had a big case that ran late."

Cat resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall, she should have known better than to call Heather back.

"Really? You were at Tess'?"

"Yes, Heather."

"So that's why when I called she had no idea where you were either?"

Crap.

"Uh, I went there really, really late. I was at the precinct."

Before Heather could pick up on her obvious lie, Cat said, "Look, I have to go, Heather, Joe's going crazy. Someone's leaked all out details about this attack to the press. I'll see you tonight, okay gottagobye."

Hastily, hanging up, Cat let out a sigh of relief before phoning Tess.

"Cat?"

"Hey. Before you say anything, if my sister calls, I crashed at your place last night. Okay?"

"Hate to break it to you, bud, but she already phoned like a million times."

"I know. Just say I got there after she called."

"Fine, but where were you really?"

Cat did not need this.

"Have you seen the news?"

"Changing the subject, are we, Chandler? So, I'm gonna assume you were with Mr. Complicated. Wow, two nights in a row. Isn't that breaking one of your blood oaths, or something!?"

Cat felt her cheeks burn, aware that Vincent could hear every word. She moved further away from him and J.T.

She hissed into the phone, "Yes, but you think you could keep it to yourself – partner!?"

"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a knot. Yes I have seen the news, and so has Joe. And he's pissed."

Cat flung her gaze upwards, praying for strength.

"Great. Do we know where the leak came from?"

"Wolanski thinks one of the kids spilled for their 15 minutes of fame. Me, I'm inclined to disagree. First, cause it's Wolanski. Come on. And secondly, they were both at the hospital last I checked."

"And spilling to the media doesn't seem their style."

"Yeah. But still, we got a leak somewhere."

"What about the girl who texted Jazz last night. What was her name again?"

"Give me a sec... Hey, you better get in here soon. Joe's on rampage and you can't leave me on my own."

Cat rolled her eyes, as she heard Tess clicking.

"Got it. Suzy Price, 18. Goes to NYU."

"Same college as Whitney, Jazz and Zach."

"Looks like we found our leak. I'll tell Joe."

"Right. See you in a bit, Manslayer."

"I'll kill you, Cat In The Hat."

Cat chuckled at the nickname Jake had given Tess. It sort of fitted, if she was being brutally honest.

Cat hung up the phone and turned to meet J.T's questioning stare and Vincent's curious one.

'So, I'm gonna go deal with this. Hopefully we'll be able to pull the report, seeing as the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made."

J.T nodded, pulled himself out of the chair and saluted at the two of them.

"I should get to work Captain Kirk, see ya and Vince? Please don't do anything stupid."

Vincent nodded. "See ya, Spock."

As J.T went out of the door, Catherine smiled at their banter. Vincent moved forward and captured her with his brawny arms.

"That's better," He murmured. "My arms felt empty without you in them"

Touched, Cat reached on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"So, what was that about a blood oath?"

Cat just laughed and broke free of his grip.

"That was Tess being an idiot. And on that note, I have to go to work."

Cat leaned in for one more kiss, and as she pulled away she thought of something.

"Vincent. Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Don't follow me. Stay here and, for the love of god, please remember to turn on the security system."

Cat saw the reluctance and apprehension is his eyes.

"It's just... with all of this going on, I want to know that you'll be safe. And we can't risk the chance of Jazz seeing you."

Before he could argue, she placed her hand on his arm. "Please. For me?"

He groaned.

"You know I would do anything for you, Catherine."

She reached up to hug him, whispering in his ear, "Thank you."

She felt Vincent press his face into her hair.

"I love you." he whispered.

"I love you, too."

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that, leave us a review! Much love, beasties... and, hey! On the bright side, just 20 days until episode 10! Who's seen the promo images? I have and I am very VERY excited! :D**


	13. Well Here Goes Nothing

_****_**A/N: HEY GUYS, CHECK IT OUT I AM ACTUALLY ALIVE! My god, I can't believe how long it took me to update this, I AM SO SORRY! Seriously, but I guess life kinda got in the way. At the moment I am trying to get ready for my final GCSE exams, finish all my coursework and then my laptop decided to die and it took me forever to get a new one that actually works. But once again I am sorry for the ridiculous wait. Hopefully to save you guys the time of rereading the entire thing, I put some brief quotes below, to remind us of what went down in the last chapter. **

**As much as I hate to say this, I am not totally sure when I'll be able to update this story (as well as my other ones) as school is REALLY kicking my butt right now and it's not going to get any easier for another couple months. Also, this story in particular, the chapters are generally quite long as I like to move the narrative on quickly so it does take me a while to write each chapter. Also, for a while I was feeling very uninspired and disconnected from the story and if I'm being honest I'm not happy with this chapter, but hey _c'est la vie..._**

Anyways I hope you all enjoy this long-awaited chapter, please leave us a review to let me know what you think :D

**P.S Italics are the character's thoughts. **

**P.P.S As much as I'd like to, I unfortunately own nothing remotely BATB related nor am I in any way affiliated with the cast, crew, writers, producers. I only claim this story and Jazz - because she's my baby. **

* * *

_**Previously on The Beauty of The Beast:**_

_"Police have identified the victim of this brutal attack as 19 year old Whitney Harrigan. It is said two friends of the victim have confirmed that Whitney, who is attending NYU, was meeting an online acquaintance at this club. Is this just another example of how our children are increasingly being put in danger online? Does it show how our young people are at risk? This is Katie Foster reporting for CNN."_

Pictures of Whitney were shown on the screen, a few of them with Jazz and Zach. Vincent looked closely at Jazz, he saw how her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Something he had seen many times on Catherine's face over the years as he observed from afar.

"Look J.T, just because they mention her name on the news, it doesn't mean that Muirfield is gonna track her down. Right?"

"I'm afraid there's been some kind of leak to the press."

"Leak. What the hell do you mean by leak?"

Jazz could feel panic rising in her throat, she cloaked it with anger instead.

"Apparently somebody has told the press everything about the attack. They've given Whitney's name, the nature of the attack and her injuries. And the press know about your involvement."

"Involvement?"

Jazz turned to look at Zach. She could see her own panic mirrored in his eyes.

"Look ,I am just as upset about the situation as the two of you, but I'm afraid the press have got hold of your names and your relationship to Whitney. They know what college you go to and where Whitney's being treated. Until we can get them to pull the reports, I'm afraid the two of you are going to have to stay out of the public eye."

It was only a few years later that Jazz had realized they had been delivering the engagement ring Vincent would give to Alex later that evening. Jazz shook her head out of her reverie, making her way past the same staff room. It was that moment that she saw a familiar red-headed doctor.

Alex.

"Vincent. Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Don't follow me. Stay here and, for the love of god, please remember to turn on the security system."

Cat saw the reluctance and apprehension is his eyes.

"It's just... with all of this going on, I want to know that you'll be safe. And we can't risk the chance of Jazz seeing you."

Before he could argue, she placed her hand on his arm. "Please. For me?"

* * *

**Jazz's POV**

Jazz stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Vincent's fiancée (well ex-fiancée). 10 years had not changed much, except maybe that flaming hair which Jazz had been so envious of as a little girl, was shorter. Alex had always been patient and caring towards 8 year old Jazz, she had practically been family but after Vincent died everything changed.

Jazz swept her gaze around the dimly lit corridor wondering if she could back up the stairs before Alex noticed her.

'Can I help you?' Alex's bright voice rang through the hallway.

_Shoot. _

'Sorry, it's just you look a little lost.'

The doctor gave Jazz a helpful smile, waiting for an answer. Jazz prayed that Alex wouldn't recognise her; she didn't need the awkward trip down memory lane. She forced an appropriately abashed smile.

'Yeah, sorry I'm looking for the eastern exit.'

'Oh sure thing, you're heading in the right direction. But you know the main entrance is closer.' Alex offered another helpful smile.

'Yeah, but there's a horde of reporters there, I think they're here about the girl who was attacked last night.'

Jazz casually shrugged her shoulders. Lying came easily to her. She grew worried at the anger that was growing on Alex's face.

'Ummm... are you okay?'

'Yes, sorry – it's just they infuriate me. The reporters. They're like hyenas feeding off the scraps left behind. That poor girl may lose her life and all they care about it getting the front page for their newspaper.'

Alex let out a huff of frustration, but laughed when she saw Jazz raise her eyebrows.

'Sorry, here you are asking for directions and you have to listen to me vent.'

'Err... its fine.'

Alex gave her another smile, but Jazz could see it didn't quite reach the corner of her eyes; it was almost as if that smile was fake, put there by practicing into a mirror whilst ordering yourself to stop crying. Oh wait –that was Jazz's thing. She only half listened as the doctor gave her directions, nodding absent-mindedly until something Alex said caught her ears.

'Hey, have we met?'

Crap.

'No, nope I don't think so.'

'Sorry, it's just you look awfully familiar – very much like someone I knew once. Come to think of it she'd be about your age by now... But ignore me, I'm tired - been working night shifts.'

Alex looked curiously at Jazz one more time, and as the pager beeped, Jazz heaved a silent sigh of relief.

'Well I should probably get going... let you get back to work. Thanks for directions.'

'No problem, have a good day.'

Both women turned from each other, going their separate ways. Neither of them looking back.

**Catherine's POV**

The precinct was in utter chaos, when Cat got in. Immediately, she made her way to Tess' desk where her friend was yelling into a phone

'Look I don't care! This is an ongoing investigation – you either pull that report or face a lawsuit! Assholes.' She added for good measure as she hung up.

'Oh how nice to see you - partner!' Cat chose not to acknowledge the sarcasm in Tess' tone.

'Cat!' Cat looked up from the mess that was her desk to see Evan striding over to meet her.

'Evan, hey what's up?'

'Just got DNA back from the scene, we got a few hits and rape's been confirmed.'

'Okay, so who's our potential perp?'

'That's the thing we don't know. It's a John Doe – but his DNA has cropped up on multiple cases similar to this one.'

'Shit, confined to New York or...?'

'At the moment yes.'

This was bad; it no longer meant that they were dealing with one isolated incident. Cat sighed; she was already wishing to be back at the warehouse in Vincent's arms.

'Okay thanks Evan.'

'No problem, you feeling better?' Cat met his questioning gaze with a sunny smile.

'Yes, much better thank you.' Evan nodded, reaching out a hand to rub her shoulder. Before either of them could say anything they were interrupted:

'Err, Detective? There's someone here to see you; said she's got a laptop or something?'

Startled, Cat looked up at the desk clerk, why would someone be here to see her with a laptop? Cat snapped her head towards Tess who answered.

'Yeah, send her in – thanks Bobby.'

'No problem.'

Cat sent her partner a questioning gaze

'It's Jazz, she said she'd bring in the vic's laptop.'

Cat struggled to keep her expression blank; this was it – her chance to see what the girl knew. Here goes nothing.

**Evan's POV**

Worried, Evan scrutinised Cat as her face fell with Tess' statement. Turning to see what could possibly upset Cat so much, he saw a very pretty girl walking towards the desk. She had long dark hair, which probably fell past her shoulders in soft waves when it wasn't tied up in a tail.

Her deep brown eyes met his with a slightly shy, inquisitive stare as she noticed his gaze upon her. When their eyes locked Evan found it near impossible to look away, he could see the slight tint of blush staining her smooth cheeks. Her full red lips parted as if to say something, he held his breath. Cat's distant voice in the background brought him back to Earth. Evan cleared his throat tearing his eyes away from her.

'Well I should probably get back to the morgue, see you later Cat – keep me updated?'

Cat just gaped, looking at him as if he had three heads. Without another word, Evan turned on his heel and practically ran out of the precinct. He couldn't help indulging in one last glance at the girl over his shoulder, had Tess said her name was Jazz? She looked slightly confused, well who could blame her? You don't expect to walk into a police station to be ogled at by a weird guy whom you have never met before in your life.

Evan shook his head, he had no idea what had just happened in there - he had acted like a pubescent teenage boy who had never been around a woman other than his mother in his life. Evan was good with women – especially beautiful women, a self confessed ladies man; he knew how to act around them. How to compliment them, fluster them, crack their walls. There was no shame in what he did, he didn't set out to break hearts – in fact he tried to treat the women he... spent time with, with respect. But that didn't change the fact that he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, longing looks or midnight walks on the beach. He just wanted fun.

So why the hell was a girl he had only just laid eyes upon, playing on his mind like this? Evan let out a huff of frustration, and dragged a hand through his hair.

_Dead bodies, Marks, go and focus on your dead bodies- not some random (crazy beautiful) girl who just showed up at the precinct._

**Jazz's POV**

_Well that was weird. _

Jazz felt her brows pulling together; she looked at Detective Chandler, and saw the confusion etched upon her face. As Jazz felt the weight of the laptop, she put away thoughts of handsome staring strangers with sexy accents and focused why she was here –to get answers.

'So umm, I got Whit's laptop for you.' Detective Chandler looked at Jazz, the smile on her face seeming a little forced. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her partner, Detective Vargas get up and perch on the edge of the desk.

'So how's she doing?'

Jazz let out a sigh.

'Better, the doctor's managed to relieve the pressure from her brain, it was a bit touch and go for a while but they managed to stabilize her. She's still under though, they want to keep her sedated for a while - she needs to rest.'

'That's great; did you guys manage to talk to her parents at all?'

Looking at Detective Chandler intently, Jazz tried to think how she could be connected to Vincent's 'death'; because there was no doubt that the cop knew something. All she had to do was figure out how to figure that 'something' out.

'Nope, her mom's in Paris and her Dad is probably cruising down the Cape. But... I could always go back to our place and see if Whit's got any contact details for them.'

'Naw it's fine we'll just run their names through the system.' Jazz offered a quick smile at the other Detective, what was her name? Tess? She wrote down Whit's parents' names down on a piece of paper for her and let her eyes wander around the precinct as she handed it over. Subconsciously, Jazz's eyes shifted to where she had seen Vincent's picture. She was surprised to see it was gone.

'Turns out, it was supposed to be taken down a while ago.'

Detective Chandler met the girl's slightly shocked stare with a knowing smile. Jazz swallowed loudly, shaking her head.

'So, you guys got any leads on who did this to Whitney?' Jazz noticed the two women glance at each other, almost as if they were having a silent conversation. She knew that they were deciding what exactly to tell her.

What neither of the detectives knew was the she probably had more leads on who had attacked Whitney already. Jazz had taken the liberty of carefully combing through the laptop and making a note of anything of use to her.

Detective Chandler was the one who softly said:

'We think this man may have attacked other women, before Whitney.'

'What? Like some kind of… serial rapist?'

Jazz's disgust was evident in her tone, both the women looked at her sympathetically.

'Yeah, that's one way of putting it. But don't worry Jazz, we'll catch this son of a bitch – I promise.'

With that the taller detective offered a warm smile to the girl and hurried to get the laptop to IT.

An awkward silence fell as Jazz and Chandler were left alone.

_Well it's now or never. Time to find out what the hell is going on. _

Jazz took a deep breath.

* * *

**A/N: Well there it is, in all it's 1700+ words glory :P ****As I said earlier I'm not entirely happy with this, but hopefully once I get the story moving along once again I will be slightly less disappointed (well a girl can dream right?  
On the note of Alex, I wrote that before she actually appeared in the show (yes, that is how long this has been sitting in my hard drive, festering) so she won't correspond with the actual character in the show fully. For example in my version, she's a doctor not a nurse. I decided to include her because I think she was very sweet in the show, and I think Bridget Regan did a fantastic job in portraying her, and I wasn't very with the amount of unwarranted hate that she (and the character) received. (And speaking of, I love Heather and I feel very sorry for her after what happened in 'Tough Love' and I think people are being very harsh on her). **

** But, still deciding how Alex will be used later on in the story, I have sort of a half idea, but I'm not sure if I'll deal with it straight away - I kinda just want to focus on Jazz's storyline at the moment - and yes it will include Evan. *hides* Please don't kill me if you don't like this pairing; I promise it will be very, VERY interesting for all parties involved! And plus in my headcannon they're sort of perfect for each other.  
So yeah next chapter, Jazz and Cat's big confrontation scene, hope y'all look forward to it, leave a review to let me know what you think!**

**P.S I am an English teenager, I have very little medical knowledge, knowledge about the American health and law system and even less about the police force. Hopefully, I've been striking a realistic tone - I try and do my research! But please, my American friends let me know if something is MAJORLY inaccurate. **

**P.P.S THE KISS. I DIED. THIS IS MY GHOST TYPING, ACTUALLY IT'S MY GHOST'S GHOST BECAUSE THE PROMOS AND PHOTOS KILLED ME AGAIN. **


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